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Monday, 30 November 2015

6MMRPC: All done!

Hi folks,

So with today being the 30th of November it signals the final day of the Six Months Metal Mountain Reduction Painting Challenge. I've had the day off today, so had a look through what I've managed to achieve in the last 6 months.

I've taken a few pics, but the first place to start is probably my painting chart. Here's how it looked in June:

And the final version from November:

As you can see, there's a large area of green, but still an large untouched area of red. I've also moved a lot less from red to orange or yellow than I did during the last challenge, where I seemed to have started a lot but not completed it. My challenge over the next few months is going to be finishing off some of these yellow areas (built, detailed and base coated + varnished) and moving more on to at least the orange point (built and detailed, possibly base coated).

Some of the stuff marked as completed (green) still has small details to do, mainly crew figures to be added. I also completed a lot of crew and vehicle figures which were not included on the chart.

I think the next challenge is going to be focused on artillery. I've rewarded myself as I have progressed with some purchases, but I feel that most of them have fallen within my own rule of making purchases based on completed units. As with the last challenge, I found the purchasing rules much harder to stick to towards the end of the challenge. Added to the metal mountain have been:

I have also bought a lot of terrain and a few books, but these don't count! I've found that my purchasing has been aided by the total lack of 15mm WW2 stock on offer at any of the wargames shows I have been to. This includes the Battleground show in Stockton this weekend, where I ended up buying 2 4Ground buildings and some walls.

As well as painting the usual 15mm WW2 stuff, I also managed to do some of my Full Thrust ships. I aimed at painting (roughly) a Light Carrier Battle Group. I've still a load of these ships on my painting desk, having started some in the last week of the challenge. But I've not moved them on much.

So, some pics of all I've managed:

I know this might seem a bit limited compared to what some people can manage, but in the last 6 months I went on holiday, worked away from home and stayed in a hotel for 7 weeks, packed up my home, moved a couple of hundred miles in order to live with my Fiance's parents (where I have a small room to use for my painting) and started a job in a new office. So it's been quite a busy time!

Blog post wise, I have managed more than 4 posts a month since June - so another tick in that box.

I have felt at times that my posts have been quite samey, but that main thing from my perspective is that I have had the motivation to keep chipping away and keep working. At the same time, I am very aware of how quickly my motivation left me in this last week, with me finishing off the last FoW vehicle I had prepped and the knowledge that the challenge was ending in a few days. I have tried starting some Full Thrust ships and working on two vehicles I had started converting or painting months ago (the AA platoon's Jeep and the supply transport for the 144 RAC Battlegroup Overlord models) but I have still struggled a little.

I've also enjoyed seeing the work other participants have done and it's been nice to see that everyone made at least some progress. The small issue with it being a 6 month challenge is that a lot can happen in that time (as I can attest to!).

To round up then:

1. No purchasing of new miniatures, EXCEPT if you use a joker. You get
three jokers to use on a figure purchase. Could be a blister pack, an
ebay bundle, or a single figure... you can't splurge. The only exception
to this rule is if you need bitz or A FIGURE (Singular) to complete a
unit/warband etc.

I consider this to have been a Pass!

1.1 - There is an opportunity to "earn" additional jokers. If you
complete an entire project (whole unit/army/warband etc.) with pictures
of starting, WIP, and completion, you earn yourself a Joker.- In
order to allow myself the purchases to finish my painting chart I will
be aiming to do this when a platoon have been completed. As I did last
year, my painting chart has some 'aspirational' units on it, not just
the ones I already own.

Pass, I'm happy that my own little add on to this worked OK with me and kept me focused on painting.

2. Gifts do not count against you. Holidays, birthdays etc. Also, if
you're given gift cards by your hobby illiterate family or friends, you
can without penalty use them on anything you want miniatures wise.

No problems here!

3. Paints, terrain (or materials), and other hobby supplies do not apply to the no purchasing rule.

4. At least one hobby related blog post and/or Instagram update a week.
If you instagram, be sure to hashtag your pic with #6MMRPC

Pass!

5. Zombtober will be part of the 6 month challenge so, Zombie related
stuff during October is ENCOURAGED. Other theme suggestions are
welcomed. - Again, as last year I will be having Tanktober rather than Zombtober. At least assuming I have tanks to paint by then!

Pass for this one as well, as despite moving house in October I also managed to get some tanks finished.

6. Anyone that wants to submit a before and after picture of a
miniature that they are proud of completing during the course of the
challenge to dmcffd@gmail.com will be entered into the running for a
gift certificate to a online wargaming store of their choice. Judging
will be by an un-biased person. Amount on the gift certificate will be
dictated by winners nationality but should work out to about $30 U.S. I
(Spiderweb of History) will not be eligible to win.

I've made a submission, but I suspect that with the quality of other people's work it will be purely a honorable mention!
So that's it for another challenge. I'm going to have a thing about what I am working on over the next wee while, but I suspect that I will take part in the next challenge - if and when it starts.

Well done. I think that's some great output myself. In light of your many life changes you've done great. I'm still caught up in the moving house/moving job sequlae, but should do a follow up post myself.